Very Micro Submarines
Posted December 1, 2001
Many of us think of submarines as huge, bulky pods of metal, which are hundreds of feet long. Even the small submersibles that are used to explore the depths of the
ocean and study everything from underwater life to the wreck of the Titanic, are big enough for a handful of passengers.
Advancements in submersible technology have enabled scientists to create smaller submarines - some of them as small as a dolphin. However, scientists at Nekton Research
have recently developed the smallest submarines ever. These tiny underwater robots, known as MicroHunters, are about the size of a felt-tipped pen.
MicroHunters are propelled by a simple mechanism that was inspired by the single-celled creature, the paramecium. While larger submarines have more complex propelling
systems, MicroHunters rely on a single moving part that allows them to travel in a spiral motion rather than a straight line. The MicroHunters maneuver by turning their propellers on
and off, using the water current and inertia to turn.
The performance of the MicroHunters is incredible considering the simplicity of the design. In open-water tests, they have been able to come to a complete stop, maneuver
sharply, and travel at speeds up to three knots (1.5 meters per second).
The MicroHunters developed from an idea to create a toy fish that mimicked true swimming motion. While studying the movement of organisms in the water, Nekton co-founder
Charles Pell stumbled upon the simple propellant system. "It was stunning at first that something so superficially simple worked so well," Pell told Scientific American.
MicroHunters can be fitted with sensors to allow them to orient themselves and navigate underwater using a reference point - for example, a light source, gravity,
or Earth's magnetic field. The only problem is the size of the sensors needed. Some of the sensors needed are larger than the MicroHunters themselves.
For these larger sensors, Nekton can scale the size of the MicroHunters up to 10 times the original size.
Predators pose one of the biggest threats that the MicroHunters would face in open waters. With such a natural movement, their small size, and their shape, it is quite
possible that the tiny subs might be eaten before they can complete their mission.
Some of the applications that the MicroHunters could be used for include oceanography research, industrial uses, and military applications. One example of military
use is intelligence gathering. A single MicroHunter could sneak behind enemy lines by spiraling up a stream or river. Sensors could also aid in the MicroHunters' detection of chemical
and biological weapons manufacturing.
Activity
Use the Internet to learn more about how science uses organic movement to design robots. Make a model of a robot that has been designed based on an organism.
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